Toughest Sheriff Found Guilty of Contempt

Well, the “toughest” sheriff was found guilty of contempt. Sheriff Joe Arpaio targeted Hispanics in his traffic stops. He ignored an order from a U.S. District Judge to stop targeting Hispanics. His office did not stop for another 18 months. During his trial, he claimed his lawyer did not explain the judge’s order to him very well. The “toughest” sheriff went to court with a “dog ate my homework” defense and lost.

The toughest sheriff is 85 years old and faces up to six years in jail for the offense. But, given his age and status as a law enforcement official, it is not likely he would receive the maximum. It was not typical for a county law enforcement official to make immigration arrests a priority. But, Sheriff Arpaio was never typical. See CBS News report. I previously wrote about the toughest sheriff’s trial here and here.